What Do Doozers Do? - Fraggle Rock Kids' Book

February 16, 2011

This book was a real treat for me because I remember when Fraggle Rock was on HBO in the early 1980's. I even remember that HBO itself was only on from 5pm - midnight and weekends. Yes I'm revealing my age, but that's the great thing about being a parent today ... you can share some of your old-school favorites with a new generation.

Before reading this book with my son, I did something I rarely do for a book review - I had my child watch television. Netflix has the entire Fraggle Rock series on 'watch instantly' and this instant gratification was the perfect way to show my son what a Fraggle and a Doozer were before reading this little book, originally in print in 1985.

The book itself tells a simple story about what Doozers do all day - mainly build edible buildings for Fraggles to eat. This is in stark contrast to what Fraggles do, which is basically not work, but play. The tale is told in tongue-twisting rhyme with great narration. I appreciate a book like this being narrated but also think it would be a fun book for young readers with the 'Read Myself' option. It is also a fine bedtime read, as there are no stimulating elements or extras.

Overall this book is a trip down memory lane for many parents and a great excuse to revisit the Fraggle Rock television series. And the Doozers are appealing to today's kids, once they know the context of this story. Just the idea of a whole society of Jim Henson's tiny Doozers building industriously (like ants) is enchanting, not to mention the illustrations of their little families, homes, schools, etc. If you loved Fraggle Rock, you will enjoy sharing this ebook with a whole new 'digital' generation of kids.

All reviews are of the app, not the platform/device. Based originally on iPad versions. Minor technical details may vary.

Story Synopsis - What Do Doozers Do? - Fraggle Rock Kids' Book

This title was originally published in print in 1985 by Henry Holth & Co. It was based on the television series, Fraggle Rock, which ran on HBO from 1983 to 1987 in the US. The series was created by Jim Henson, primarily featuring a cast of 'Muppet' creatures called 'Fraggles'.

Within Fraggle Rock lives a second species of small humanoid creatures, the pudgy, green, ant-like Doozers. Standing only 6 inches (150 mm) tall (knee-high to a Fraggle), Doozers in a sense represent anti-Fraggles; their lives are dedicated to work and industry. Doozers spend much of their time busily constructing all manner of scaffolding throughout Fraggle Rock using miniature construction equipment and wearing hard-hats and work boots. No one but the Doozers themselves seem to understand the actual purpose of their intricate and beautiful constructions.

The story basically tells the tale of what Doozers do all day and contrasts this to the Fraggle's daily activities. All told in rhyme. Often the Doozers accompany their building with marching songs and various Doozer chants. To ensure that they always have a steady stream of work to do, Doozers build their constructions out of an edible candy-like substance (manufactured from radishes) which is greatly enjoyed by Fraggles. They actually want the Fraggles to eat their constructions because "architecture's supposed to be enjoyed" and also so they can go on to build again. This is essentially the only interaction between Doozers and Fraggles; Doozers spend most of their time building, and Fraggles spend much of their time eating Doozer buildings. They thus form an odd sort of symbiosis. [Source: Wikipedia]